Torn Families

The Battle of Gettysburg lasted only three days but involved more than 160,000 Union and Confederate soldiers. Seven thousand died outright on the battlefield; hundreds more later succumbed to their wounds. For each of these soldiers, family members somewhere waited anxiously. Some went to Gettysburg themselves in search of their wounded loved ones. Some were already present as soldiers themselves.
In this book are extraordinary—and sometimes heartbreaking—stories of the strength of family ties during the Battle of Gettysburg. Excerpts from diaries, letters and other correspondence provide a firsthand account of the human drama of Gettsyburg on the battlefield and the home front.

Michael A. Dreese is the author of five books and numerous journal articles on topics including Pennsylvania and the American Civil War. An award-winning photographer, he is the president of the Friends and Descendants of the 151st Pennsylvania, and vice-president of the Susquehanna Civil War Round Table. He lives in Kreamer, Pennsylvania.

Michael A. Dreese
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 232
Bibliographic Info: 52 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012 [2007]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6913-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0288-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      viii

Preface      1

Introduction      3

1. Fathers and Sons      7

2. Mothers and Sons      46

3. Husbands, Wives, and Sweethearts      67

4. Union Brothers      99

5. Confederate Brothers      147

6. Twins      173

7. Sibling Reunions      181

8. Homecomings      196

Notes      205

Bibliography      213

Index      219

“engagingly and soundly written”—Civil War News; “will prove rewarding reading for anyone interested in the human tragedy of war”—Strategypage.com; “a curious and interesting work…will prove rewarding reading for anyone interested in the human tragedy of war”—The NYMAS Review; “painstakingly well researched”—Juniata Sentinel.